I fill any new beds with everything I've chopped up from the garden instead of putting it into the composters (composting in place). I top it off with 3 to 4 inches of finished garden compost and only plant shallow rooted crops for the first couple of years. It sinks by half that first year, but less and less as you add a layer of leaves/grass/twigs, etc and another top off of garden compost. By the third or fourth year, you only have to add a couple of inches of compost (I also mulch with woodchip every year to keep in moisture) and you can plant almost anything you want. It produces amazing compost. I don't add much topsoil, but it ends up in there through pulling up clumps of weeds from elsewhere that are composted. I guess filling a raised bed is as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. Will definitely be looking into your supplier of timber. We have a huge problem with deer and I definitely have to get some protection in place. Just wondered if you'd cut down sleepers for the end parts of the bed and do those bits rot down faster?

you can line the iside of the sleepers with a mebrane that protects them from the constant wet soil. makes them last a lot longer as well.

I've just started co-sharing an allotment with my mother in law and we are so excited to get started. We've loads to learn but look forward to one day being as good as you!!🥰🥰 I'm a fellow Scot living in Northern Ireland with my husband, so it's lovely to watch your videos to hear the sound of home, and gardening is the cherry on top!!😁

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Best of luck! "good as you". hee hee hee remember you only see me at my best.... you don't see all the disasters. :) Lovely to have you with us, and I'll try to throw in as much Scots as I can :)

I absolutely love this video thank you so much for going so in depth on the raise beds

Another great video Eli! You always put out in-depth, useful content that so many people will get something (or a lot!) from! 👍👍👍

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

thank Niall, I appreciate that! I'm never 100% sure how useful any of my waffles are so I rely on feedback from you guys. thanks 😀

I finally added the How to build my raised bed garden out of cement blocks. I’ll post the link here since you had a hard time finding the link. My hubby asked that we didn’t cement the blocks together. Given that restraint, I’m happy with the result. kzread.info/dash/bejne/g32sz9KhoKXRfKw.html

Hi Eli and Kate. Great video as ever. I got my first raised bed (2 x 1m) tonight and had just finished levelling it out when I saw your video. Looking forward to more on the subject. All the best 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

I have to say, leveling was my most hated job. So what are your plans for the bed? Anything exciting?

Enjoyed your video, you are entertaining and informative. The raised beds are so beautiful with that mahogany colour.

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it 😀😀😀

I’m very jealous! Old Ironsides doesn’t have timbers as thick as your beds. The ones I built are made of California redwood, and they’re only two inches thick, and that was still quite expensive. I’m hoping to get a good five or six years out of them, though. I’ve seen a few videos where the raised beds were filled a bit with a bottom layer of thick branches, twigs (from tree trimmings). This saves money initially, and this stuff breaks down in a year or two, anyway, because the top soil sifts down between the branches, as well as covering it. Once a third of the bed is done up with this stuff, then you fill the rest with your regular garden mix. Some folks even put a few initial inches of broken-down corrugated (mostly Amazon, I suspect) cardboard boxes. This free stuff also breaks down in a season or two. Nice video, Eli. Thank you for sharing.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah it's actually really common for folk to build taller beds just for the asthetic of it but them don't need that depth for growing, so the fill the beds mostly with cheap space filler and only focus on soil to the depth they are planting.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

I'm actually planning on doing some work on the beds today (if the weather allows). Need to some repairs to the covers

Im such a fan of your raised beds. I LOVE the height of them

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

I guess the beauty of making your own is you get to control everything, including height :) Us older ladies do appreciate a taller flowerbed :)

So let's be honest, a raised bed garden can cost an absolute fortune.... But would you rather splash the cash for convenience or have a go at DIY?

Great information, i made a mini raised bed this year and will look to expand this next year as it has been quite succesful! Mine was a diy job by my dad 😃

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds great! Getting your dad to do it was genius!

Hi Eli and Kate, A great informative video of how and what to consider, Well done, Take care, 👍👍👍

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Ronald! 👍 Glad you enjoyed it.

Great advice, mine are all 1.2m by 2.4m each!

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

:) raised bed twins :)

Firstly, Bless you! Secondly, do you use pegs in the corners of your sleep raised beds please? If not what do you use to make sure the second level does not move? I am not sure If I missed this in the video. If I was to do a DIY raised sleep bed, is a jigsaw the best tool to use for cutting the wood please?

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

I can actually give you some useful info :D Yup we fix the beds, even though once in place they are really heavy and saws... well you can cut by hand and we did for the first 2 beds but it's hard work. Not sure a jig saw will handle it though.... we use a circular saw Kate chat's about it in the most recent raised bed video kzread.info/dash/bejne/rKqHlpuCiKmqgKQ.html

bless you! could you line with plastic to help prevent the wood rotting?

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

you can if you want. A lot of folk do.

If you were to do your raise beds over again would you? And if you do what material would you use differently if you would use a different material. I know your views sleepers what would you use concrete or metal?

@eliandkate

2 жыл бұрын

Wouldn't change them. I love my sleeper raised beds

What are the connectors used to fasten the water pipe to ur timber

@eliandkate

3 ай бұрын

They come as a kit from quickcrop.co.uk for making raised bed covers

@darrenross8676

3 ай бұрын

@@eliandkate thank you will take a look

What is the height of your beds.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

roughly about 40cm

Number 1 - Don't skimp out and use pine, treated or not it will not out in 5 years.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

thanks Matt, I’m sure folk will find your advice helpful. Can I get you to explain a little? Do you mean rot out in 5 years?

My raised beds/plants are made out of pallets.

@eliandkate

3 жыл бұрын

That's quite a common approach to raised beds on the cheap. It's easy to get your hands on pallets and cheap to replace.